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Darby Vassall Upper School

Q: Is Darby Vassall Upper School a good school?

Darby Vassall Upper School ranks 111 th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

111^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 478 Massachusetts Middle Schools

Better than 77% of Massachusetts middle schools

Summary

Darby Vassall Upper School is a Cambridge, MA middle school serving grades 6–8 with 298 students, part of the Cambridge district. In 2025–26, it ranked 111th of 478 schools statewide (77th percentile, 4 stars), while the Cambridge district ranked 71st of 351 districts (80th percentile, 4 stars). The school has generally been stable and above average, mostly 4 stars with percentile ranks in the 70s, aside from a 2021–22 dip to 63rd percentile and 3 stars. It is above state averages but mid-tier within its district: it trails Rindge Avenue Upper School and Putnam Avenue Upper School, while generally leading Cambridge Street Upper School.

On 2025–26 MCAS Next Generation, the school scored 53.14 ELA, 53.11 Math, 43.82 Science, and 48.31 Civics. It beats Massachusetts in all four (40.03 ELA, 41.11 Math, 40.98 Science, 39.77 Civics) but trails the Cambridge district in all four (59.47, 57.29, 51.03, 51.32). Math is a relative strength: 7th-grade Math scored 60.2, above district 51.97 and state 37.48, and second among Cambridge middle schools. Science is the clearest concern: lowest among Cambridge middle schools in this comparison, only slightly above state, and below district for three straight years. 8th grade lags, especially ELA at 50.56 vs. district 64.1.

Among Cambridge middle schools, Rindge Avenue Upper School and Putnam Avenue Upper School rank higher overall, while it leads Cambridge Street Upper School. Compared with nearby non-Cambridge schools, the school is much stronger than John J. McGlynn Middle School, Eugene Wright Science and Technology Academy, Joseph A. Browne School, Higginson-Lewis K-8 School, and Next Wave Junior High. Its closest regional peer is Madeleine Dugger Andrews, though results are mixed by subject. Resources are not limiting: about a 7:1 student-teacher ratio and $32,963 per student in 2020–21, similar to district peers but far above Medford and Chelsea schools. Subgroup results are uneven: special education students rank in the 86th percentile (4 stars) and male/female students in the 75th–78th percentile, while low-income students are around the 56th percentile (3 stars). English learner results swung from the 93rd percentile and 5 stars in 2024–25 to the 3rd percentile and 0 stars in 2025–26, an outlier to monitor.

298

Students ?

7.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$40,197

Per pupil spending ?

42.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

183 Vassal Lane
Cambridge, MA 02138

(617) 349-6550

District: Cambridge

Students who attend Darby Vassall Upper School usually attend:

High:

Cambridge Rindge and Latin

Racial breakdown:

White:

35.6%

African American:

27.2%

Asian:

17.4%

See top rated Massachusetts middle schools

Compare Darby Vassall Upper School to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 70th percentile in 2016 → 77th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Massachusetts average (51% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 23% of Massachusetts middle schools

✓Ranking is trending up — up 7 percentile points since 2016

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Near the bottom of Cambridge's ranking

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school51%

District avg57%

Massachusetts avg41%

111^th of 478

Massachusetts public middle schools ?

Top 23%▲ up 6 pts since 2016

From top 30% (2016) to top 23% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Massachusetts Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 4Middle Schools in the Cambridge

71^st of 351Cambridge among Massachusetts districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	73.2	111 of 478	76.8%	★★★★☆
2025	72.2	121 of 484	75.0%	★★★★☆
2024	67.0	143 of 493	71.0%	★★★★☆
2023	74.9	118 of 501	76.4%	★★★★☆
2022	56.7	186 of 497	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	69.9	137 of 501	72.7%	★★★★☆
2019	69.9	145 of 498	70.9%	★★★★☆
2018	77.7	104 of 484	78.5%	★★★★☆
2017	75.9	112 of 487	77.0%	★★★★☆
2016	68.8	143 of 482	70.3%	★★★★☆
2015	50.5	217 of 441	50.8%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	39.2	126 of 215	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.1	105 of 206	49.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	46.1	105 of 202	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.0	100 of 209	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.8	107 of 212	49.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	51.4	86 of 193	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.3	72 of 195	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	64.2	46 of 172	73.3%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	37.5	86 of 131	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	14.4	109 of 127	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	22.7	91 of 120	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	45.3	81 of 134	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	32.4	94 of 135	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	47.5	73 of 123	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.0	79 of 128	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2018	36.5	84 of 119	29.4%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2022	75.5	61 of 445	86.3%	★★★★☆
2021	81.7	45 of 431	89.6%	★★★★☆
2019	71.5	81 of 424	80.9%	★★★★☆
2018	62.0	107 of 417	74.3%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	28.0	188 of 193	2.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	70.2	12 of 181	93.4%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	74.3	105 of 468	77.6%	★★★★☆
2025	79.5	90 of 473	81.0%	★★★★☆
2024	71.5	124 of 481	74.2%	★★★★☆
2023	77.3	100 of 489	79.6%	★★★★☆
2022	58.4	182 of 494	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2021	72.0	117 of 483	75.8%	★★★★☆
2019	72.3	127 of 478	73.4%	★★★★☆
2018	68.0	147 of 463	68.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	82.2	50 of 383	86.9%	★★★★☆
2025	66.3	99 of 376	73.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	48.3	203 of 461	56.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.9	185 of 464	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.1	223 of 469	52.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.3	235 of 481	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	42.6	271 of 489	44.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	60.7	139 of 462	69.9%	★★★★☆
2019	62.9	136 of 452	69.9%	★★★★☆
2018	66.0	120 of 438	72.6%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	69.7	117 of 470	75.1%	★★★★☆
2025	62.0	158 of 473	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.3	172 of 483	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.4	134 of 489	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	53.7	204 of 497	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.8	166 of 485	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.2	168 of 478	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	85.5	56 of 466	88.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2025	74.5	32 of 116	72.4%	★★★★☆
2023	77.0	27 of 110	75.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	77.4	59 of 436	86.5%	★★★★☆
2025	76.4	68 of 435	84.4%	★★★★☆
2024	76.9	60 of 441	86.4%	★★★★☆
2023	86.8	35 of 444	92.1%	★★★★★
2022	46.3	242 of 503	51.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	65.5	110 of 489	77.5%	★★★★☆
2019	65.3	113 of 484	76.7%	★★★★☆
2018	70.9	70 of 467	85.0%	★★★★☆

Tested In Person

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	75.7	108 of 491	78.0%	★★★★☆

Tested Remotely

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2021	55.0	124 of 339	63.4%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Massachusetts percentile	Rating
2026	92.4	23 of 393	94.1%	★★★★★
2025	89.8	33 of 386	91.5%	★★★★★
2024	80.2	68 of 392	82.7%	★★★★☆
2023	87.3	44 of 403	89.1%	★★★★☆
2022	70.5	93 of 404	77.0%	★★★★☆
2021	77.4	68 of 401	83.0%	★★★★☆
2019	85.7	40 of 396	89.9%	★★★★★
2018	88.3	30 of 395	92.4%	★★★★★

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2026)94th percentile+17 vs school

Hispanic (2026)87th percentile+10 vs school

Special Education (2026)86th percentile+10 vs school

Disabled (2022)86th percentile+24 vs school

Tested In Person (2021)78th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)78th percentile~ school

Male (2026)75th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2025)72nd percentile-3 vs school

Tested Remotely (2021)63rd percentile-9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)56th percentile-21 vs school

African American (2026)41st percentile-35 vs school

Asian (2026)34th percentile-42 vs school

English Language Learner (2026)3rd percentile-74 vs school

By subject vs Massachusetts (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts53%+13 vs state

Mathematics53%+12 vs state

Civics48%+9 vs state

Science44%+3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Darby Vassall Upper School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts (2026)							MCAS Next Generation Mathematics (2026)							MCAS Next Generation Science (2026)			MCAS Next Generation Civics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2015)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation English Language Arts All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 3rd Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 4th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 6th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 7th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Mathematics All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Science 5th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science 8th Grade	MCAS Next Generation Science All Grades	MCAS Next Generation Civics 8th Grade	Total
Darby Vassall Upper School	Public	6-8	183 Vassal Lane	Cambridge	02138	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	No	(617) 349-6550	298	43	7.0	42.7%	106 (35.6%)	81 (27.2%)	37 (12.4%)	52 (17.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.0%)	73.2	111^th of 478 public middle schools	76.8%		72.2	121^st of 484 public middle schools	75.0%	10				54.7	54.2	50.6	53.1				48.8	60.2	49.4	53.1		43.8	43.8	48.3	$40,197
Cambridge Street Upper School	Public	6-8	840 Cambridge Street	Cambridge	02141	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 349-3050	301	36	8.2	52.1%	102 (33.9%)	95 (31.6%)	35 (11.6%)	26 (8.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	38 (12.6%)	66.4	139^th of 478 public middle schools	70.9%		52.2	203^rd of 484 public middle schools	58.1%	64				45.4	42.5	59.8	49.7				41.7	34.1	56.1	44.4		50.5	50.5	47.4	$37,291
Next Wave Junior High	Public	6-8	81 Highland Ave	Somerville	02143	Middlesex County	Somerville	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 629-5640	16	5	3.1	85.0%	6 (37.5%)	2 (12.5%)	6 (37.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (12.5%)								(n/a)							9.1							9.1					$74,046
Putnam Avenue Upper School	Public	6-8	100 Putnam Avenue	Cambridge	02139	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 349-7780	283	32	8.9	65.0%	79 (27.9%)	72 (25.4%)	29 (10.2%)	55 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	47 (16.6%)	80.3	87^th of 478 public middle schools	81.8%		80.2	92^nd of 484 public middle schools	81.0%	5				68.5	53.3	70.5	64.0				58.4	42.2	54.0	51.5		55.2	55.2	52.9	$38,081
Rindge Avenue Upper School	Public	6-8	70 Rindge Avenue	Cambridge	02140	Middlesex County	Cambridge	No	No	No	No	(617) 349-4060	292	31	9.4	44.5%	145 (49.7%)	56 (19.2%)	33 (11.3%)	29 (9.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (9.6%)	90.3	54^th of 478 public middle schools	88.7%		90.3	56^th of 484 public middle schools	88.4%	2				72.6	69.6	74.7	72.2				71.1	68.1	70.5	69.9		51.7	51.7	55.8	$35,443
John J. McGlynn Middle School	Public	6-8	3004 Mystic Valley Parkway	Medford	02155	Middlesex County	Medford	No	No	No	No	(781) 393-2333	464	53	8.8	43.3%	232 (50.0%)	67 (14.4%)	88 (19.0%)	40 (8.6%)	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (6.3%)	38.7	267^th of 478 public middle schools	44.1%		35.5	288^th of 484 public middle schools	40.5%	21				27.7	33.1	32.1	30.9				25.7	36.6	31.3	31.2		35.4	35.4	34.6	$24,808
Madeleine Dugger Andrews	Public	6-8	3000 Mystic Valley Pkwy	Medford	02155	Middlesex County	Medford	No	No	No	No	(781) 393-2228	435	49	8.9	33.0%	269 (61.8%)	45 (10.3%)	63 (14.5%)	34 (7.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (5.1%)	64.1	150^th of 478 public middle schools	68.6%		59.9	178^th of 484 public middle schools	63.2%	28				45.3	45.8	49.6	46.8				44.9	31.8	43.2	40.2		55.1	55.1	53.8	$22,740
Eugene Wright Science and Technology Academy	Public	5-8	180 Walnut Street	Chelsea	02150	Suffolk County	Chelsea	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 466-5240	436	45	9.7	92.3%	40 (9.2%)	23 (5.3%)	369 (84.6%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	20.4	387^th of 478 public middle schools	19.0%		18.8	397^th of 484 public middle schools	18.0%	10			34.5	12.2	28.0	30.6	26.3			20.7	5.1	8.1	13.6	11.7	25.3	26.8	26.1	25.0	$25,598
Joseph A. Browne School	Public	5-8	180 Walnut Street	Chelsea	02150	Suffolk County	Chelsea	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 466-5235	487	54	9.0	90.5%	27 (5.5%)	36 (7.4%)	419 (86.0%)	4 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	11.9	434^th of 478 public middle schools	9.2%		11.8	438^th of 484 public middle schools	9.5%	4			8.7	19.1	9.7	16.7	14.0			5.4	10.3	12.5	16.5	11.7	12.0	9.8	10.7	12.0	$23,450
Higginson-Lewis K-8 School	Public	3-8	131 Walnut Avenue	Roxbury	02119	Suffolk County	Boston	No	No	No	Yes	(617) 635-8247	213	23	9.2	88.5%	10 (4.7%)	78 (36.6%)	117 (54.9%)	2 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.8%)	8.2	457^th of 478 public middle schools	4.4%		9.4	451^st of 484 public middle schools	6.8%	6	6.3	2.8	6.5	16.1	14.6	9.1	9.5	0.0	2.9	6.5	16.1	6.4	0.0	5.0	12.9	4.6	8.0	4.6	$41,639

Frequently Asked Questions about Darby Vassall Upper School

How many students attend Darby Vassall Upper School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 298 students attended Darby Vassall Upper School.

Is Darby Vassall Upper School a good school?

Darby Vassall Upper School ranks 111^th of 478 Massachusetts middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What district is Darby Vassall Upper School in?

Cambridge

What is the racial makeup of Darby Vassall Upper School?

Students at Darby Vassall Upper School are 36% White, 27% African American, 17% Asian, 12% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races.

What high school do graduates of Darby Vassall Upper School attend?

Students who attend Darby Vassall Upper School usually go on to attend Cambridge Rindge and Latin

Rate Darby Vassall Upper School!

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Latest Massachusetts data All new data »

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesMar 5, 2026

2024–25 MCAS Next Generation test scoresSep 29, 2025

2023–24 school spending dataMay 8, 2025

2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesMay 1, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.